LFA chief executive officer Ed Soares made the January return to Minnesota official today. The main event of LFA 150 Farias vs Sweeney will be a bantamweight bout between two of the most exciting fighters in the sport. When LFA 150 takes place in the state, it will be the seventeenth LFA competition there. Similarly to the 50th-anniversary celebration, the sesquicentennial celebration will be held at the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Minnesota is the site of LFA 150 on Friday, January 13th. As the main event, seven-time BJJ world champion Ary “AstroBoy” Farias will square off against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson’s protege John “Hollywood” Sweeney in a bantamweight bout.

When does LFA 150 Farias vs Sweeney fight start?

On January 13, 2023, at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel in Prior Lake, Ary Farias will face John Sweeney in the main event of LFA 150. At 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT

How to watch LFA 150 Farias vs Sweeney Live

• Live Broadcast: LFA 150 Farias vs Sweeney Live

LFA 150 Farias vs Sweeney Preview

At LFA 150, “we are pleased to deliver such a spectacular major event to Minnesota,” Soares said. Almost similar records separate “Ary Farias” and “John Sweeney,” two of the most promising bantamweight prospects in the world. But that’s about where the parallels stop. Their fighting pedigrees are impressive, even if they come from various martial disciplines.

Farias is one of the most accomplished grapplers in mixed martial arts history, having won seven BJJ world titles and holding a black belt in the art. Black belt in Karate and a student of the legendary Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, Sweeney is a formidable knockout artist in his own right. This main event offers everything you need for a memorable battle, so don’t miss it!

Farias has amassed a record of 12-3, putting him towards the top of the list of the most successful BJJ fighters in MMA history. Manaus, the capital of Amazonas State in northwestern Brazil, is the place where the seven-time BJJ world champion was born into the world of combat sports. When Farias was just 11 years old, he enrolled at ASLE, then one of the best BJJ schools in the world. UFC standout Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza and LFA legend Jaqueline Amorim both trained at this facility before making the transition to MMA.

After meeting “Jacare,” Farias spent the next five years in the ASLE training camp living and training alongside him. He subsequently relocated to Rio de Janeiro, where he received significant training under BJJ legends like Ricardo Vieria, Rogerio Cames, Yuri Simoes, and Ramon Lemos. After defeating five-time UFC veteran Michinori Tanaka in the main event of LFA 138, Farias will be making his fourth appearance under the LFA brand.

UFC star Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson has mentored Sweeney (11-3), who holds a black belt in Karate. “Hollywood” is a nickname given to the South Carolinian because he has the same dynamic hitting power and star attributes as his famed trainer. A masterclass performance in the main event of UFC Orlando this past weekend has put “Wonderboy” in contention for “Fight of the Year.”

Sweeney will try to repeat this feat next month and bring another major victory to his dojo, Upstate Karate, in Simpsonville, South Carolina. With a penchant for the spectacular in his fights and five victories by knockout or technical knockout, the flamboyant karateka has all the weapons necessary to accomplish this goal. Sweeney, who will be making his third appearance under the LFA brand, is coming off a noteworthy win against LFA star Ricardo Dias in the co-main event of LFA 137.

LFA 150 Farias vs Sweeney Fight cards

• Ary Farias (12-3) takes on John Sweeney (13-5) in the main event of the bantamweight (135-pound) bout on the fight program (11-3)
• Heavyweight (265 lb) co-main event: Thomas Petersen (6-1) vs. Richard Foster (6-4)
• It’s Miguel Sanson (4-0) vs Mark Climaco (3-0) in a 125-pound flyweight fight (7-1)
• Scott Writz (6-2) and Jalin Fuller (170 lb.) square off in a fight at welterweight (6-2)
• Wes Schultz (3-0) takes on Dylan Budka (0-1) in a fight at 185 pounds (4-1)
• Quang Le (4-0) takes on Henry Huff (3-2) in a bantamweight fight (135.0 lb) (4-3)

Initial Playing Card:

• Santos Verdinez (1-0) takes on Darius Miller in a fight at the 135-pound bantamweight class (0-0)
• Kyle Zimick (0-0) faces Emanuel Pugh (1-0) in a featherweight (145 lb) bout (0-2)